New on DVD/Blu-ray: The Vampire Diaries — The Complete First Season

If you like stories about pretty high school girls caught between supernatural beings vying for her soul, the CW’s got a show for you called “The Vampire Diaries”. It’s kinda like the CW’s other supernatural show, er, “Supernatural”, but minus the Winchester Brothers and crazy end-of-the-world apocalyptic storylines. But other than that… You’d be forgiven for mistaking the “The Vampire Diaries” for a TV version of “Twilight”, though, since there are enough similarities. But I repeat: this is not “Twilight” on TV. Got that? Okay, so the show’s first season will be making its DVD and Blu-ray debut on August 31, 2010 courtesy of Warner Home Video.

“For over a century, I have lived in secret. Until now. I know the risk, but I have to know her.”

Dark, brooding, pulsing with bloodlust and transcendent with romance, The Vampire Diaries — which started as a series of must-read novels by L.J. Smith — has become a must-watch television hit. Season One offers unforgettable characters, living and undead. They are vampire brothers Stefan and Damon, one good and one evil; Elena, a double for the beauty both brothers loved some 150 years earlier; plus Jeremy, Bonnie, Matt and more denizens of Mystic Falls, VA. All are caught up in a spellbinding web of secrets, passion and terror.

Review:

Adapted for television by “Dawson’s Creek” mastermind (and “Scream” movie franchise creator) Kevin Williamson, “The Vampire Diaries” is based on the series of novels by author L.J. Smith, whose work predates fellow writer Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” series by about 14 years. That out of the way…

If you’re a fan of the “Twilight” movies, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t easily grapple onto “Diaries”. They are essentially the same beasts existing in different universes, and I dare say, made for the same demo.

The show’s star is Nina Dobrev, one of those Hollywood actresses who could play 10 years older if she had to. She oozes sex appeal, as do the actors playing the two vampire brothers struggling for her affections, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder (if, you know, you’re into that sort of thing). No doubt the girls love the whole “bad boy vampire” vs “good boy vampire” that Nina must choose between. For the guys and genre fans in general, “Vampire Diaries” also offers plenty of eye candy, including a witch best friend played by the gorgeous Katerina Graham.

I’ll say this for “Vampire Diaries”: it gets better over the course of the season, as more character motivations and the past are revealed. Unlike a lot of shows where the idea is to hold the status quo for as long as possible, “Vampire Diaries” feels like it really is telling a larger story from the pilot onward.

The show has already been renewed for a second season, which is set to premiere in early September.

Special Features:

* Into Mystic Falls: Bringing Vampire Lore and the High School Experience from Page to Screen
* When Vampires Don’t Suck!: The Popularity of Vampires and the Fans Who Love Them
* The Vampire Diaries: A New Breed of Vampires — Casting the Series
* The Vampire Diaries: Vampires 101 – The Rules of the Vampire
* Creators/director pilot commentary
* Unaired scenes
* The Vampire Diaries: A Darker Truth Webisodes
* Second Bite: gag reel
* Downloadable Audiobook of the Bestselling Novel The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith